1. Communication and Interpersonal
Relationship in Nursing
Dr.Valliammal Shanmugam
Lecturer
College of Nursing
NIMHANS
Bangalore -29
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2. DEFINITION
Communication implies exchange of
information & understanding among
people. It involves
 Transmission and reception of
messages
 People are involved
 Process
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3. SIGNIFICANCE
• Planning
• Organizing
• Leading
• Controlling
• Motivation
• Emotional Expression
• Information
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4. PROCESS OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
Process of communication involves several parts
 The Sender
 Encoding
 The Message
 The Channel
 Decoding
 The receiver
 Feed back
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5. Written communication channels
Iincludes letters, memorandum, reports,
manuals and forms. Written materials
provide hard copies for storage and retrieval
in case documented evidence is needed
later.
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6. Electronic channels
Include e-mail, voice mail, portable telephones,
facsimile (Fax) machines, telecommunicating,
networked computers (Integrated data bases, on-
line “chat session” etc.), video conferencing,
cellular telephones and telecommunicating (it
refers to where employee actually work at home
while linked to the office through computers, data
net works, fax machines and telephones).
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7. Factors influencing
organizational communication
• Formal Channel of Communication
• Authority Structure
• Job Specialization
• Information Ownership
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8. COMMUNICATION FLOWS
Within organization there are 5 directions in which
communication flows; downward, upward, lateral,
diagonal and external.
Downward Flow:
To convey job related information to employees at
lower levels. Absence of it, results in role
ambiguity, stress and anxiety among employees.
Eg. Group Meetings, Budgets, Operational
Procedures, Circulars.
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9. There are 5 specific ways for downward
communication. They are
a) Specific task directives
b) Job rationale
c) Procedures and Practices
d) Feedback
e) Indoctrination of goals
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10. Distortions of downward communication
a) Reliance upon written diffusion methods
b) Message over load
c) Timing
d) Filtering
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11. Ways to improve downward
communication
a) Specify the objectives for communicating
b) Keep content of communication with
qualities like accuracy, specificity & no-
hidden meanings.
c) Employ best communication techniques to
get the message across the receiver
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12. Upward flow
• Lower level employees are expected to
provide upward communication about their
performance & problems.
• It encourages participation in decision
making process & submit valuable ideas,
able to get feed back on how well
subordinates have understood downward
communication;
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13. • Serves the way to know the subordinates, diagnose
misinterpretation, disclose the first symptoms of
tension & difficulties & make subordinate’s views
more visible to superiors;
• When employees are given opportunity to voice
dissatisfaction to higher levels, they tend to be more
committed to the organization.
• Common forms of upward communication are
suggestion boxes, open door policies, group
meetings, grievances, questions & feedback.
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14. Distortions of Upward communication
a) Hierarchy in organization: Subordinates feel that
they are expected to listen to their bosses rather
than to be listened to. Some supervisors are less
in habit of listening to subordinates.
b) Subordinates may tell only what they want the
supervisor to know.
c) Employees have fear of expressing true feelings
about the boss.
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15. d) Supervisor may not be able to
communicate with many sub-ordinates on
an individual basis.
e) Many times supervisor adopt an open door
policy & assume that individuals who have
something to communicate will do so
voluntarily.
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16. Ways to improve upward
communication
• Better listening
• Building Trust
• Giving response to messages
• Counselling
• Grievance systems
• Consultive Supervisions
• Meetings
Contd….
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17. • Suggestion Systems
• Job satisfaction surveys
• Open door policy
• Participation in a social group
• Encouraging letters from employees (News
letter)
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18. Lateral Flow or Horizontal
Communication
It takes place between peers. It is needed to
achieve cooperation among group members
and between work groups. It also provides
emotional & social support to individuals.
Contd…
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19. Purposes:
 Task coordination – HOD’s monthly
meeting
 Problem solving – how to handle a
threatened budget through Delphi
technique
 Information sharing
 Conflict resolution – HOD’s help each
other to resolve conflict within or with
another department.
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20. Problems in horizontal
communication
 Too much may weaken organization structure.
 Too many messages flowing in all directions
would lead to anarchy.
 Departments do not generally like to share
information with other departments because of
rivalry.
 Too much of job specialization results in
becoming an island itself.
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21. Ways to improve lateral flow
communication
 Maintain balance between vertical &
horizontal communication through flexible
procedures that provides guidelines about
when & how employees should use
horizontal communication.
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22.  Form a committee having employees from
different department to involve in problem
solving
 Conduct training sessions on team work in
which employees gain an appreciation of
horizontal communication.
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23. Diagonal communication
Takes place between a ward supervisor of
Pavilion I and members of Pavilion III. It is
needed to interact with employees regarding her
particular function.
For e.g..Pavilion I ward supervisor ask the nurses
of Pavilion III what kind of craft works they take
up with their patients, so that same kind of craft
works could be assigned to patients in Pavilion-I
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24. External communication
Takes place between a ward supervisor and
outside groups like banks, financial
agencies, fire control officers etc. A ward
cannot operate in a vacuum.
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25. COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
A communication network is the pattern of
communication flows among various
positions in an organization. It enhances
coordination & reinforces authority
structure. It determines who gets what
information and how satisfied the members
are with their functions or places in the
groups.
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26. Forms of communication networks.
• a wheel
• a chain
• a letter ‘y’
• a circle, or
• all channel
Among all the networks, the chain network
scores high on all the factors, following ‘Y’
and others.
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27. COMMUNICATION ROLES
• Gate Keepers
• Liaisons
• Isolates
• Cosmopolites
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28. COMMUNICATION AUDIT
The form major communication networks that need to
be audited are;
 The task related networks pertaining to policies,
procedures, rules and superior-subordinate
relationships
 The innovative network, which includes problem
solving, meetings & suggestions for change.
 The integrative network, which consists of praise,
rewards, promotions & those items that link enterprise
goals with personal needs; and
 The information-instructive network includes
Organization’s, Publication and Bulletin Boards etc.
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29. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
Grapevine: is the communication carried out
either in face-to-the face inter action or over the
phone. This may be task oriented or social
characteristics of the grapevine.
• Impossible to eliminate
• Information travels more rapidly than through
official communication channels
• Spontaneous form of expression, more gratifying
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30. • More information without official
censorship & filtering.
• On non-controversial topics related to
organization, 75% is accurate
• Emotionally charged information is likely to
be distorted
• Only less than 10% of the groups enter into
grapevine.
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31. Types of grapevines
• Chain system
• Cluster system
• Gossip system
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32. Advantages of Grapevine
• Develops corporate identity, builds team work &
motivates people.
• Supplements formal communication, reflects the
deep psychological need of people to talk about
their job & their organization
• gives happiness of passing timely new information
giving a feeling of to be in touch & well informed
& has social value
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33. Disadvantage
• Can be erroneous
• Difficult to check rumours.
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34. Rumour
1. It is the unjudicious & false information that is
communicated without factual evidence.
Rumour serves 4 purposes:
 to structure & reduce anxiety
 to make sense of fragmented or limited
information
 to serve as a platform to organize group members
 to signal a sender’s status or power
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35. Ways to control rumour:
 Announce time tables for making important
decision
 Explain decisions & behaviour that may
appear inconsistent
 Get at the roof of the rumour & confront it
with facts
 Identify rumour-mangers & discipline them
 Take the assistance of the labour union to
fight rumours.
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36. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
The internet, world wide web, electronic
mail, voice mail & telecommuting
constitute the information technologies.
• Advantage: Easy, quick & less expensive
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37. Demerits:
• Does not promote IPR & solve IP problems
• Breaks down the boundaries between work
time & non-work time.
• Erodes delegation of authority by creating
too much & too frequent communication
between superiors and subordinates
• E-mail increases volume of meaningless data
with consequence of unnecessary workload.
Lacks confidentiality.
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38. Information technologies
• The internet, world wide web, electronic
mail, voice mail & telecommuting
constitute the information technologies.
• Advantage: Easy, quick & less expensive
38

39. Demerits
• Does not promote IPR & solve IP problems
• Breaks down the boundaries between work
time & non-work time.
• Erodes delegation of authority by creating
too much & too frequent communication
between superiors and subordinates
• E-mail increases volume of meaningless
data with consequence of unnecessary
workload. Lacks confidentiality.
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40. IPR & HUMAN RELATIONS
Human relations in management is
concerned with the relationship between
management & workers and the role of
regulatory mechanism in resolving any
dispute.
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41. Definition:
“Human Relations is concerned with the
systems, rules & procedures used by unions
& employers to determine the reward. For
effort and other conditions of employment,
to protect the interest of the employed and
their employers and to regulate the ways in
which employers treat their employees”.
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42. Areas of Human Relations
Activities
• Collective bargaining
• Role of management, unions & government
• Machinery for resolution of industrial
disputes
• Individual grievance & disciplinary policy
& practice.
• Labour legislation
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43. • Industrial relations training
• Participative management
• Employees development
• Employee remuneration
• Employee safety & health
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44. A A
A B
B C
D E B
D
C
C
C E
D
Y Network
Wheel Network E
A Chain Network
A
E B
E B
D C
D C
Circle Network
All Channel Network
Fig. 18.4 Communication Networks 44

45. Chairman
Upward
Managing
External
Director
Downward
Marketing Director
Director Research
Operations Lateral
al
Director
on
ag
Di
   
     
Fig. 18.3 Communication Flows in Organisations
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46. Thank You
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